Will I be extradited back to the United States in this case (From South Africa)?
To make a long story short, I am a native of South Africa, my family brought me to the United States in 1991 when I was three years old to escape from Apartheid that lasted until 1994 there. My parents returned there three years ago when I was 19, and I am the only member of my family remaining here. This is a very good country, definitly the land of oppurtunity, but now that my home country is free and more safe I want to return, especially now that I have inherited a large amount of money from my grandfather and in South Africa, I can live off the interest. (This money is in my bank account in South Africa) The problem is that I am supposed to start serving a 90 day jail sentence in September for an assault and battery charge. I received my inheritence two months ago, and quit my job and have been living on it thru bank wires while planning my trip back home. I was origionally going to do it in October when it starts to get cold, but since I live in a furnished apartment and there's not much to move other than myself, I'm thinking of just going in a few weeks. My fortune (1.9M USD) was not discovered during court proceedings and my passport was not revoked. I guess they didn't expect a person serving a simple 90 days in a county jail to make a run for it out to a different country. On such a minor crime, are they going to spend much time and effort and tax money bringing me all the way back?
Law & Ethics - 2 Answers
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1 :
Probably not, but you will spend longer than that in the South African jail before they decide not to extradite. Jail is free and you will not need the apartment. Do the time and then head out.
2 :
they could. they most likely wont bother with the extradition, it is usually used for high profile/serious capital crimes. your 90 day sentence won't be on the list of priorities. having said that, i would seriously reconsider not serving your sentence. if you dont, you turn a relatively short sentence into something more serious. you would technically become a "fugitive" and the US marshals would put you on their watch list. if you ever come back to the US, you will be charged with evading the law, and that will come with more serious penalties. if you're not a US citizen, then there are additional implications. seriously, ask a competent immigration lawyer as they can give you the best advice.
